AASHTO Journal, 3 August 2012
Contractors looking to hire workers for federally funded highway projects can now receive a financial incentive from the Illinois Department of Transportation if they hire graduates of IDOT’s Highway Construction Careers Training Program.
IDOT announced last week that the Federal Highway Administration approved a $10 per hour training incentive to prime contractors who hire graduates of the program to work on federally funded projects. The incentive has been in place for years for projects funded by the state.
“We appreciate the support of the Federal Highway Administration and are confident this incentive will help expand the workforce and ensure more inclusion,” said IDOT Secretary Ann Schneider in a statement. “We encourage prime contractors to take advantage of this opportunity to gain an incentive and give these committed and hard-working graduates a chance at a rewarding career.”
The Highway Construction Careers Training Program began in 2009 as a way to improve access to highway construction training and employment opportunities for minorities, women, and people from underprivileged backgrounds. The program is run by 10 community colleges around the state and consists of eight to 10 weeks of hands-on training designed to prepare graduates with the math and construction skills they need to work in the industry.
Since its inception, more than 600 people have graduated from the program, 75 of whom landed jobs in the construction industry or apprenticeships in construction trades.
Additional information on the Highway Construction Careers Training Program is available at bit.ly/ILhiring.